Bobby pin opener



March 27, 1951 SNYDER 2,546,528

BOBBY PIN OPENER Filed June 25, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

JQ N R.SNYDER jig-5. BY IWV AT'roRNEYs Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in a bobby pin opener. It consists of the combinations, constructions, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

It is an object of this invention to provide an opener that is adapted for use in spreading the sidemembers of a normally-closed bobby pin, preparatory to application of the pin to the hair. Normally, such a task is difficult to accomplish by a hair dresser; and, considering the number of bobby pins that must be used .during a normal working day, the fingers of the operator are often injured.

More specifically, this invention concerns a bobby pin opener adapted to be worn on the wrist of an operator. The opener includes a disc having a circumferential flange rising therefrom, the upper section of the flange being curved inwardly toward the center of the disc. This construction defines an annular hook extending around the entire circumference of the disc. One side member of a bobby pin may be engaged under this hook, and then the operator may separate the side members of the pin with facility and ease. The opener may be used, regardless of the angle of the wrist on which the opener is worn, and it will not interfere with other tasks being carried out by the operator.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification continues. The novel features will be set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, illustrating my bobby pin opener supported on one of the operators wrists and the other hand being used for opening the bobby pin;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the bobby pin opener;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view thereof; and

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken through the .device, and illustrates a bobby pin being opened by an operator.

While I have shown onl the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes, or modifications, may be made within the scope of the annexed claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

Detailed description Referring to the drawing, it will be noted that I have disclosed a conventional bobby pin indicated generally at A. This pin includes a pair of coacting side members I and II, which are interconnected by a spring loop I2 so as to yieldingly urge them toward one another. In actual practice, the side I0 is made slightly longer than the side II, and the latter is provided with an up-turned end Ila. Of course, I do not desire to be limited to this particular type of bobby pin,

- since it has been selected for the purpose of illustration only. My bobby pin opener is designated generall by the reference character B. It includes a disc l4 having a circumferential flange l5 rising therefrom. This flange defines an opening It at its top. As clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4, the upper section l5a of this flange is curved inwardly toward the center of the disc !4 to define an annular hook extendingaround the entire circumference of the disc. The upper surface l4a of the disc is flat and leads to the lower curved section |5b of the annular flange without interruption.

For the purpose of supporting the opener B at a convenient position on an operators arm, I provide a split wrist-engaging band [1. This band is spot-welded or otherwise secured to the underneath side of the disc I4. The arms Ila of the band may be sprung so as to accommodate the band to the wearers wrist; also, to allow placement of the band over the wrist or removal therefrom.

The bobby pin opener may be Worn while the operator is giving a shampoo, drying the hair, etc., without the customers hair becoming entangled in the device. It will not interfere with the duties of the hair dresser, since it is mounted in an out-of-the-way position on the wearers wrist.

Detailed operation The operation of my bobby pin opener is summarized briefly as follows:

In applying the device to a persons wristfor example, the left wrist as shown in Figure 1the arms Ila of the split band ll are sprung over the wrist. This will mount the opener B at a convenient place on the wearers wrist.

It will be found convenient to hold the bobby pin A in the other hand, placing the end of the side member ID at the central part of the disc [4, and thereafter slide this side member over the flat surface 14a toward the circumferential flange 15.. The end of the side member In is engaged under the annular hook-like upper section l5a Of this flange, as suggested in Figures 1 and 4.

With the side member It] thus anchored, the thumb and index finger are utilized to raise the side member H into open position, as shown by the dot-dash line illustration in Figure 4.

The thumb and index finger are pressed against the side members In and II to hold them in open position. This will permit the operator to place the bobby pin in the customers hair, all with facility and ease.

Inasmuch as the flange l5 extends around the entire circumference of. the disc M, the bobby pin A may be inserted through the opening I6 from any direction and the bobby pin leg member In engaged underneath the in-turned section of the annular flange,

When the bobby pin A occupies its normal posittion, as indicated by the full lines in Figure 4, the free ends of the side members Wand H thereof are arranged in juxtaposition. It will benoted that upon disposing the bobby pin at an acute angle relative to the disc 14,. asthe. free endof the side member Ill' slides. over the fiat upper surface Ma in contact therewith and into. engagement underne'aththe. annular hook-like section [5a, the up-turned end Ila. will pass above the section [5a. In other words, the circumferential flange [5 is relatively short in. height sothat the free ends of the bobby pin can straddle the hook-shaped section. l5a, with the end of the side member I still resting. on the disc. It will be observed that an unobstructed circumferential groove is provided. below the hook-like section [a to receive the free end of the side member [0 of the bobby pin.

I claim:

1. An opener for separating side members of. a. resilient bobby pin, the latter having juxtapositioned. free ends; the opener including: a disc having a circumferential flange rising therefrom.

and defining an. opening at its top; the upper section of the flange curving inwardly toward the center of the disc to define an annular hook, with. an unobstructed circumferential recess disposed below this hook; the hook being dimensionally spaced above the disc at a distance so that the free ends of the bobby pin can straddle the hook with these ends still juxtapositioned, when the bobby pin is disposed at an acute angle relative to the disc, and the free end of one of the side members is moved along the disc in contact therewith into engagement underneath the annular hook, with the free end of the other member passing above the hook.

2. Air opener for separating sidemembers of a resilient bobby pin, the lat-ter having juxtapositioned free ends; the opener including: a disc having a circumferential flange rising therefrom andv defining an opening at its top; the upper section of the flange curving inwardly toward the center of' the disc to define the annular hook, with an unobstructed circumferential recess disposed below this hook; the hook being dimensionally spaced above the disc at a distance so that the free ends of the bobby pin can straddle the hook with these ends still juxtapositioned, when the bobby pin is disposed. at an acute angle relative to the disc, and the free end of one of the. side members ismoved along the disc in contact them.- with intoengagement underneath. the annular hook, with the freeend of the other. member passing above the hook; in combination, with: means for supporting the: opener on the wristof:

a wearer.

JOHN R. SNYDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1 ,499,175 Holqu-ist June; 24, L924- FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date;

244,547. Great Britain Dec; 24, 1925; 251,055 Great Britain Apr; 29, 1926 

